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PIJESENTED BY 



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Poems of Inspiration 



Charles Finney Copeland 



Digitized by the Internet Arciiive 
in 2011 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/poennsofinspiratiOOcope 




So, ehouting toac! "Tbe die is cast," 
Strack oct across the river. 



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OOPYRI6HT 1808 BY 
chabi.es PINNBT OOPELAND 



BBOOITS DB lilTXB BDITION- 



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DEDICATED 

nnO those of the young and 
^ rising generation who are 
strugghng for success; to all 
who are interested in their own 
temporal and eternal welfare ; to 
those who feel themselves bound 
down by cruel chains of circum- 
stance and shut in by walls of 
adversity ; to those who aspire to 
la}^ hold of some of life's prizes, 
protected as they are, from the 
idle and trifling throng, by dif- 
ficulties, these lines are humbly 
and respectfully dedicated by 

The Author, 




Ch<,4^^L/^ 






AUTHOR'S PREFACE 

liyrOST of the articles in this little vol- 
•^ -*• ume are addressed to the young and 
rising generation. In our eagerness to 
find doors of opportunity and avenues of 
success we naturally wish for all sorts of 
advantages, such as wealth, education, 
wit, beauty, affability, prepossessing man- 
ners, etc., all of which ought to be factors 
of success if used — if used, if used aright. 
But how often we find such endowments 
are only so many gratifications of laziness, 
or breed that spirit of pride which "goeth 
before destruction." In such a case each 
one is an absolute curse, and a lack of any 
of these is a blessing when it shows us 
that our only dependence is upon our own 
exertion. 

Thomas A. Edison paraphrases the re- 
mark that "All good comes to him who 
waits" by saying, "All good comes to him 
who hustles while he waits." Being 
asked if Genius is not a sort of natural 
inspiration, he replied, "No, Sir! Genius 
is PERspiration." 

Out of tens of thousands of experi- 
7 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE 

ments, mishaps, and failures he has drawn 
a few wonderful inventions, and people 
call him a great success. 

Isaac Newton solved a problem after 
he had studied upon it for nineteen years, 
and people called him a wonder. 

Stanley dug his way through Africa 
when for months at a time he could go 
less than a quarter of a mile a week, and 
people called him great. 

No man is a success on account of nor 
in proportion to the advantages that fall 
to his lot, but in the proportion that he 
uses those advantages to make some part 
of this world a lighter and brighter and 
better place because he is here. It is the 
use and not the possession that counts. 
The miser dies of privation and starva- 
tion over his possessions because he will 
not use them, and the man who was born 
as a great prince and amounts to only a 
little king, is feeding a starving soul upon 
the husks of creation, and will be known, 
as long as he is known at all, as one of the 
most monumental fizzles of all history, 
though he may have Hved in luxury dur- 
ing a long life. 

The author has an intense desire to be 
a factor in proving to the young man of 
8 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE 

moderate ability and few advantages — 
the one who knows how to make blunders 
and learn by them, how to fail and not 
give up, how to travel a quarter of a mile 
a week and stick to it, how to use his brain 
for at least nineteen seconds — proving to 
such a one that he can amount to some- 
thing; he can lead a useful life; he can 
overcome obstacles ; he can accomplish re- 
sults; he can do things; he can, he can. 
And if any obstacle arises in his up- 
ward and onward path, the writer hopes 
that something herein may implant or 
strengthen a determination to kick it out 
of his way; or cut his way through it; or 
climb over it; or crawl under it; or go 
around it; or do any honorable thing ex- 
cept to subside and stop. 

The following poems are not presented 
with any claim to perfection. Perhaps 
none are beyond criticism. They have 
been prepared in the hope that they may 
be a help and encouragement to noble liv- 
ing ; a factor in proving the sure triimiph 
of the right and the sure smash and wreck 
of the wrong, and an elevating influence 
to young readers. 

Chaeles Finney Copeland. 



9 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

PAGE 

The Rubicon, 15 

The Bee and the Buzzard, 20 

Roosevelt, 25 

The Lesson from a Battle, 29 

That Star for Your Crown, 32 

Take It for What It Is Worth, ...... 36 

Encouragement, 39 

The Boy Who is Good to His Mother, .... 40 

Hustle While You Wait, 43 

My Mother's Lap, 45 

The Path to Greatness, 48 

The Spur of the Moment, 50 

There 's Market Enough for the Best, ... 54 

Tell the Truth, 57 

Who Wants A Share? 62 

The Handle and the Blade, 65 

The Sloughy Postmaster, 70 

Loaded for Bear, 73 

Selection and Moral, 75 

The Prescription, 76 

Wreck of the Fast Mail, 78 

San Francisco, 83 

Knowledge vs. Wisdom; or, the Power of 

Thought, 86 

The Gun and the Game, 90 

The Heavy End, 91 

Tommy's Little Drum, 93 

11 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 



Oh! Who Could Be Lonesome Alone, .... 94 

The Character Factory, 97 

BroDY O'Flaherty's Recommendation, .... 100 

The Point of Highest Honor, 102 

Humble Duties, 104 

Plus Ultra, 107 

A Quotation and Reply, 108 

Signs of Success, 109 

Our Motto, 109 

Motive FOR Doing, 110 

Finis, 112 



12 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Frontispiece, 4 

Portrait of Author, 8 

"The Bee and the Buzzard" 

"But gathered the honey from blossoms 
around," 21 

"That Star for Your Crown" 

"WiU it be a briUiant jewel?" 33 

"The Boy Who is Good to His Mother" 

"And nature gives more than we sow," . 41 

"There's Market Enough for the Best" 

"For product of garden or dairy," .... 55 

"Who Wants A Share?" 

"Soliciting subscriptions of specified 

amounts," 63 

"The Sloughy Postmaster" 

"And speeding through space on the 

Burlington Flyer," 71 

"Wreck of the Fast Mail" 

"Swept down from off a mountain," . . . 81 

"Oh! Who Could be Lonesome Alone" 

"In mountains and jungles and plains," . 95 



13 



THE RUBICON 



"ITITHEN Caesar turned his footsteps 
^ " home 

From far and hostile regions. 
Where he had borne the arms of Rome 

And led victorious legions. 
The Roman Senators had tried 

His glories to diminish. 
They 'd called him back, but he replied 

By fighting to a finish. 



He knew they did not comprehend 

At all the situation, 
He sought to win, and then extend 

A later explanation. 
And so he came while victory 

Was perching on his banners, 
Amid the pomp of heraldry 

And veterans' hozannas. 



15 



POEMS OF INSPIRATIOI^ 

But jealous senators inflamed 

Had made a declaration 
That Julius Caesar be proclaimed 

A foe of all the nation. 
And when he reached the Rubicon, 

He learned their detestation. 
And how their hearts were set upon 

His death and degradation. 

Now should he be a vagabond. 

With exiled traitors hiding? 
Or fight, and let his braves respond. 

While in his cause confiding? 
Before, success or else defeat 

Would greet decided action, 
Behind was cowardly retreat 

And naught of satisfaction. 

At every turn, some friend would state 

Exactly what was needed, 
"Advance," "Retreat," "Make haste," or 
"Wait," 

Vehemently they pleaded. 
But since advice would make his acts 

A mass of contradiction. 
He vowed to guide them by the facts. 

Through praise or malediction. 

16 



POEMS OF INSPIKATION 

His force was light, compared with those 

Who held the reins of power; 
Defeat and Death, like specters rose. 

The hero soul to cower. 
But he had scorned, through all the past. 

In cowardice to quiver, 
So, shouting loud, "The die is cast," 

Struck out across the river. 



His courage proved him born to rule. 

And live with bards and sages, 
And now his works we read in school 

Adorn historic pages. 
And so when you would enter on 

Some field of high endeavor. 
That seems to cross a "Rubicon," 

To toil or strife forever. 



Your many friends w ill all advise 

Of your mistaken calling. 
And hope some mighty man will 'rise 

For such a task, appalling; 
Your lack of talent, lack of means. 

Your lack of education, 
Each obstacle that intervenes, 

They say is full negation. 

2 17 



POEMS OF mSPIKATION 



Your enemies will hoot and sneer 

In merciless derision. 
And all will tell how much they fear 

The worth of your decision. 
For countless men, the poet sings, 

Are like "Dumb-driven cattle," 
And slow to turn from grov'ling things. 

When Truth and Error battle. 



What seems to you a "burning bush," 

Intense, with call emphatic. 
May let your friend of equal push 

Appear the while phlegmatic. 
But, vow you 'll strike the iron, hot. 

Yea, make it hot by striking. 
And sound your message, be it not 

To other people's liking. 



You '11 never any prestige earn. 

Without the advertising 
That comes from opposition stern 

Intent on your capsizing. 
As values rise, when grain is ground 

And threshed from straw and stubble. 
So all our finer traits are found 

In mills of seeming trouble. 

18 



POEMS OF INSPIRATIOK 

They 're not the cruel hands of Chance, 

But of a kind Creator, 
Who uses them for our advance. 

To make us good or greater. 
Your foes may think they 're stumbling- 
blocks, 

Invented by their ire. 
But you can turn impending rocks 

To steps for climbing higher. 

So all is best, — ^let 's heed the thought. 

That Justice can't forget us. 
Let 's think of duty as we ought. 

Without RESULTS to fret us. 
Our duty is to bear much fruit. 

Instead of comprehend it, 
Nor can delays its worth dispute. 

Nor seeming faiku-es end it. 

And though rewards appear delayed 

Beyond your mortal vision, 
The noble efforts you have made 

Will shine on fields Elysian; 
And if you 've done your level best, 

Each call of duty heeded, 
Some future day will well attest 

That grandly you succeeded. 

19 



THE BEE AND THE BUZZARD 



The last two lines are copied by permission from 
Baldwin's Rrst Reader. 



A BEE and a buzzard were flying one 
'^^ day, 
Where roses did bloom, and some carrion 

lay; 
The bee never noticed the filth of the 

place 
Nor thousands of briers and thorns in 

her face, 
But gathered the honey from blossoms 

around, 
And left them in beauty, as when the}'' 

were found. 



Though many the causes of trouble and 

grief, 
She gathered but sweetness from petal 

and leaf, 

20 



.-•<<-<" 




' But gathered the honey from blossoms around. 
And left them in beauty as when they were found." 



POEMS OF INSPIEATION 

Then sped on her journey while humming 

a tune, 
Kejoicing in wealth for next winter, a 

boon. 
And leaving the buzzard, nine points in 

the law. 
On filth and corruption to fill up his craw. 

Each one is a likeness of some of man- 
kind; 

The buzzards depraved, to all beauty are 
blind ; 

They 're out of a job; they 're bereft of 
all joy. 

Until they 're permitted, in spite, to de- 
ploy 

On some faulty neighbor who 's fallen 
from grace, 

Mistaken his calling, or lags in the race. 

And then they announce to a multitude 

vast, 
Of how there awaits a delicious repast, 
A feast of fault-finding — a banquet of 

blab. 
Rehash of all tattle and gossip and gab; 



22 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

And garbage, that all should consign unto 

death. 
Is peddled about on pestiferous breath. 

Surrounded by beauty and sweetness 

enough 
To make life a joy, they are sullen or 

grufp; 
On graces of others, by shutting their 

eyes; 
By seeking for something they might 

criticise ; 
By boasting plain speech and a lack of 

deceit, 
Make every one flinch, but no foemen 

retreat. 

O! buzzards and vultures, just learn of 
the bee. 

And gather life's honey so plenty and 
free ; 

There 's honey in thistles ; there 's good in 
each one, 

Though often mistaken and sadly un- 
done ; 

Aware of each weakness like thorns in 
the flesh, 

Sarcasm and ridicule wound them afresh ; 



23 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

And awkwardness grows 'neath the finger 

of Scorn, 
And friendship is banished, and enmity 

born ; 
But Earth is a Garden of Eden the 

while, 
When love and affection and charity 

smile ; 
"Kind hearts are like gardens; kind tho'ts 

are the roots; 
Kind smiles are the blossoms; kind deeds 

are the fruits." 



24 



ROOSEVELT 



T LOVE the man of mettle, 
^ With vertebra his own, 
Who dares to stand for justice 

As if unflinching stone; 
Who knows a crooked pillar 

Can hold but little weight. 
And who is bold and fearless, 

And strong for being straight. 



Whose hands have not been hampered 

Nor bound by handicaps. 
Like those whose machinations 

Have always been their traps. 
Wlio will not be a cipher 

When Right and Wrong combat, 
But shows opposing forces 

Exactly where he 's "at." 



25 



POEMS OF IJ^SPIKATION 

One who can chase a thousand — 

Ten thousand put to flight, 
ReHant in the honor 

That clothes a man with might. 
Who dares to turn to duty 

A face of adamant, 
Yet dares to own an error 

And readily recant. 



The man who dares to blunder. 

And dares to make it right. 
Then dares to face his critics, 

And dares "turn on the light." 
Who dares to bring the grafter 

To justice and to grief; 
The influential robber 

As any other thief. 



Who fears reverse or panic 

With less of dread and awe. 
Than proof that big transgressors 

Are greater than the law; 
Who knows this ancient pathos 

About the public weal 
Comes less from toiling masses 

Than guilty ones who steal. 

26 



POEMS OF INSPIKATION 

And that these evil-doers — 

This panic-stricken drove — 
Behold the scales of Justice 

As thunderbolts of Jove. 
Whose thought is put in action 

With snobbery defied, 
That fain would keep him quiet 

To call him dignified. 



Who shocks the politician. 

Shut up in party wall. 
And shows himself a statesman 

As broad as one and all. 
Who never could be guided 

As all the weakhngs would 
OBy popular opinion 

Instead of public good. 



Who scorns the fickle changes 

That mark the passing day. 
And through them reads the verdict 

That stands, and stands for aye; 
The man who will not fiddle 

For temporary cheers, 
But covets those resounding 

Through long, eternal years. 

27 



POEMS OF INSPIEATION 

When selfish plans have perished. 

And Prejudice has died. 
And Right and Truth have triumphed. 

And Time has testified; 
You know the man's initials, 

And how his name is spelt; 
He needs no introduction. 

His name is Roosevelt. 



28 



THE LESSON FROM A BATTLE 



npHEY say that in a battle 
-*• It takes a ton of lead 
To do the work of carnage 

That lays each hero dead; 
As millions of the bullets 

Seem void of all effect, 
So thousands of our efforts 

Will seem, we may expect. 



The ones who aim at nothing 

So seldom miss the mark, 
They seem the most successful 

And happy as the lark ; 
The man -without a purpose 

Is much more free from care, 
Than one who struggles upward 

With zeal to do and dare. 

29 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

We live in disappointment 

While striving to achieve. 
Fall short of our ambition 

And often sadly grieve; 
We fail of that perfection 

We struggle to possess. 
Nor see our partial failure. 

Perhaps is grand success. 



That no one is defeated 

While battling with his might; 
Defeat is not in failure, 

But giving up the fight; 
Success is not in scaling 

Yon pinnacle of fame. 
But doing needful duty 

Regardless of acclaim. 



The man of weak endeavor 

In fear that he may fail, 
Will never win the laurels 

Of worthies who prevail; 
And they who sing of valor. 

In onslaught or defense. 
Have never found their heroes 

Astride of any fence. 

30 



POEMS OF INSPIKATION 

Then who would aim at nothing, 

Or drift along the tide, 
On lines of least resistance. 

Where lazy laggards ride? 
Let 's heed the Latin proverb, 

"Ad astra," to the stars, 
"Per aspera," through thousands 

Of Difficulty's bars. 



And let 's be up and doing. 

Let 's battle with our might; 
Though Justice, ever tardy. 

In time doth weigh aright; 
And then the final triumph 

Will hide our past mistakes. 
And spread a balm of healing 

Upon the heart that aches. 



31 



THAT STAR FOR YOUR CROWN 



\}| rHEN you plant that star of glory 
^ ^ In your everlasting crown, 
That will shine thro' endless ages. 

Or, for time, with fair renown, 
'Have you thought of its appearance. 

When you take it as your choice? 
Will it be a thing of beauty, 

And j'^our heart at once rejoice? 



Will it be a brilliant jewel? 

Will it be a broad estate? 
Will it be a lordly title. 

Or an office grand and great? 
Oh, I see a hand extended, 

From the battlements above. 
That is filled with wealth and honor. 

And with everything we love. 

They are ours for the choosing; 
But! ! ! they 're diamonds in the rough, 

32 




' Will it be a brilliant jewel. 
Will it be a broad estate." 



POEMS OF mSPIRATION 

Seeming hard to grind and polish. 
And with signs of grief enough. 

There is pinching, hard privation. 
With no recompense in sights 

There is aid to give the needy- 
All unable to requite. 

There 's the task of doing battle, 

For what seems a hopeless cause ; 
There 's the loss of that election, 

And of popular applause; 
There 's the burning fiery furnace. 

And the frightful lion's den; 
There 's reproach of haughty monarchs. 

And contempt of humbler men. 

But they 're opportune occasions, 

For the true and faithful soul; 
These are stepping-stones of duty, 

Leading toward the grandest goal; 
To the hero, they are blessings. 

Yea, they 're blessings in disguise. 
For they advertise his mettle, 

Test his calibre and size. 

Could you hope to be a hero. 
Widely known and long renowned; 

34 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

If your sternest field of battle 
Were a park or picnic ground? 

Could you hope by selfish hoarding, 
Of your wealth beyond your needs, 

You could make such filthy lucre, 
Shine as self-denying deeds? 

Could Omnipotence Almighty 

Make a coward's record shine? 
Make a star of brightest lustre. 

Out of greed or ease supine? 
Would you change these proffered bless- 
ings 

Into scars, like brands of Cain, 
That proclaim your faithless weakness 

And your truancy so plain? 

Can't you see a loving Father 

Useth these to test the just 
And is holding boundless treasure 

For the stewards He can trust? 
Oh! my friend, tho' all around you 

Scenes annoy and sounds discord, 
Do not shun the path of duty, 

'T is the road to thy reward. 



35 



TAKE IT FOR WHAT 
IT IS WORTH 



' nn WILL help you in many a waj, 

^ boys, 

In business, or mere social mirth, 
To take everything at its worth, boys, 

So take it for what it is worth. 
A molehill 's a mountain to none, boys. 

But creeping things, low on the earth. 
Do n't sink to their level yourselves, boys. 

But pass them for what they are worth. 



Does some proud associate slight, boj^s? 

Are any around you unkind? 
Two wrongs never equalled a right, boys. 

Be manly and say "never mind." 
You 'd show, to "get even" with them, 
boys, 

A soul, microscopic in girth, 
Take shghts for just what they are worth, 
boys. 

Yes, take them for what they are worth. 



36 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

Are rowdy companions about, boys? 

Who shoot off orations of slang. 
And say you are poky or dull, boys, 
And make you feel many a pang? 
March on, with a calm, steady tread, 
boys, 
"The meek shall inherit the earth;" 
Take jeers for just what they are worth, 
boys. 
Yes, take them for what they are 
worth. 

"Ex nihilo nihil fit," boys, 

"Sure nothing from nothing can come," 
Just think, "Mighty cheap is the sneer," 
boys, 
"That comes from the rowdy or bum." 
Yoiu' merit will find its reward, boys. 

Whatever your station or birth. 
Take sneers for just what they are worth, 
boys. 
Yes, take them for what they are 
worth. 

You 'U meet with the fop and the dude, 
boys. 

In style at his father's expense. 
Disdaining as "pikers and plugs," boys, 

Each one with a spoonful of sense ; 

37 



POEMS OF INSPIKATION 



Compare his opinion with theirs, boys, 
Who 've climbed to some good business 
berth, 

And take it for what it is worth, boys, 
Yes, take it for what it is worth. 

Your mother oft gave you advice, boys, 

Be honest, and upright, and true. 
And do unto friend or to foe, boys, 

As you would have done unto you. 
Do n't barter her golden advice, boys, 

For foppery boding a dearth. 
But take it for what is it worth, boys, 

Yes, take it for what it is worth. 



Oh, yes, it is priceless as pearls, boys. 

It sprung from a heart, ever true, 
"The way of transgressors is hard," boys. 

And short their ^^0s%er4ty^ too.__„ ^ 

'T will help you in thousands of waj'-s, 
boys. 

So heed it in business or mirth. 
And take it for all it is worth, boys, 

Yes, take it for all it is worth. 




38 



ENCOURAGEMENT 



T F we can never rise as high 
■*■ Nor be as great as some, 
Success is better measured by 
The obstacles o'ercome. 



We think of some as great and grand 

And masters of their race. 
Whom Fate had destined to command 

And hold exalted place. 



But then, 
"Once they were wanderers here below ^ 

And poured out cries and tears; 
They struggled hard as we do now^ 

With cares and doubts and fears." 



39 



THE BOY WHO IS GOOD TO HIS 
MOTHER 



T ET others discuss my religion, 
"*^ Or sanctification or creeds; — 
Prospective reward is a motive, 

Quite good for all manner of deeds; 
I '11 herald no loftier gospel 

Thus blazing a guide-post of life, 
'^The boy who is good to his mother, 

Will also be good to his wife/^ 



Whatever of hardship or burden, 

We ought to, with joy, welcome them; 
They 're gems in the rough, we may 
polish 

To brighten our own diadem. 
They 're sure to adorn or to blemish 

The glory of temporal strife, 
And records of meanness to mother, 

Would blast those of goodness to wife. 

40 







>,v 



\ 



"And nature gives more than we sow." 



POEMS OF mSPIKATION 



But harvests are like what was planted. 

And Nature gives more than we sow ; 
As actions, for seed will yield habits. 

So habits, to character grow; 
And impudence, shown to a mother, 

Is sure to produce its own fruit. 
And after the honeymoon 's over. 

The wife will discover a brute. 

The record of daily behavior. 

Will hinder or help in the race 
To capture the heart of a fair one, 

To cheer up a home by her grace; 
But girls should make good observation, 

By scanning their every-day life, 
For the boy who was mean to his mother, 

Makes sorrow enough for a wife. 



42 



HUSTLE WHILE YOU WAIT 



*' ALL good doth come to them," 
-^~*- 't is said, 

"Who wait and murmur not." 
But energy in them is dead. 

Contented with their lot. 
'T is usefulness, much more you need 

Than gold or real estate, 
For these will come, if this you heed. 

And, Hustle While You Wait. 



Instead of stopping to complain 

About the greater share 
Of fame and fortune others gain. 

Who can't with you compare; — 
If recognition is the prize 

You seek for talents, great. 
Develop some to recognize. 

And, Hustle While You Wait. 



43 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

If you would hope Success to hail, 

Or wear the victor's wreath, 
Or peaks of difficulty scale 

With clouds of care beneath, 
Then you should strike the idler dumb 

In early hours and late, 
For good to only them will come 

Who Hustle While They Wait. 

The obstacles of life that mock 

Are only stepping-stones 
O'er which the energetic walk 

To broader fields and zones; 
Each mounts, majestic, o'er reverse, 

As if a potentate 
O'er forces of the universe. 

Who Hustle While They Wait. 

For Genius is no native gift 

Of Inspiration grand. 
On which the idle ones may drift 

To reach the promised land; 
'T is elbow grease; 'tis mental toil; 

'T is perspiration, great; 
'T is naught but perservance oil 

And HUSTLE — wwie y wait 



44 



MY MOTHER'S LAP 



WT HEN I 'm tired, worn and weary, 
^ ^ When I 'm weighted down with 

care. 
Feeling that I need assistance 

With the load I have to bear. 
Then my mind reverts to childhood 

When I took my wonted nap, 
Or when seeking consolation 
Always found in Mother's lap. 

There was rest for every muscle. 

Solace when my mates would tease; 
Comfort in my childhood troubles, 

And a cure for each disease. 
There she brought some healing lotion 

When my hands would chafe and chap. 
And my wounded toes and fingers 

Soon were well in Mother's lap. 

45 



POEMS OF INSPIRATIOK 

I confided every venture 

Of my feeble efforts made. 
Though I dared to show no other 

Being timid and afraid; 
Each achievement, every blunder. 

Making kite or drawing map. 
Gave me hope and inspiration 

When enshrined in Mother's lap. 



There was counsel and instruction. 

Moral truth and common sense, 
I was taught that not a single 

Evil deed could pay expense. 
And her proof was quite a blessing 

Though expounded with a strap. 
Making vivid the impressions 

I received in Mother's lap. 



And, the urchin in the alleys 

Who in maudlin accent sings 
That he 's never tied nor tethered 

To his mother's apron strings, 
He will find in store before him 

Many a hard and cruel rap 
That he might have well avoided 

If he 'd learned in Mother's lap. 



46 



POEMS OF mSPIKATION 

And I Ve got a faith that 's mighty- 

'T is a confidence complete — 
That Success will crown the eif orts 

And to honor guide the feet 
Of the youth who never lingers 

Where the tempter would entrap. 
But who heeds the lessons taught him 

In a noble mother's lap. 



47 



THE PATH TO GREATNESS 



¥ 'VE wished I had the riches, 
-*■ In stocks or bonds or gold. 
Like John D. Rockefeller's, 

Or Croesus' wealth of old; 
I 'd like the wealth of beauty. 

Divine in form and face, 
Like that blessed Diana, 

The goddess of the chase. 



I 'd like to sing like Gabriel, 

I 'd like to preach like Paul, 
I 'd like to have great kingdoms 

Submissive to my call; 
For we should be as great men 

As God of us would make, 
We ought to fill a station 

As high as we can take. 

48 



POEMS OF INSPIRATIOK 



Is there some path to greatness ; 

Some way to sm'e success, 
That I might handle planets 

As paltry men of chess? 
Ah! He who solved the problem- 

To Avhom archangels fall. 
The greatest in His kingdom 

Is servant of them all. 



'T is but by humble service 
We rise to high estate; 

'T is but the meek and lowly 
Alone who can be great; 

With pride doth go destruction. 
With haughtiness, a fall, 

But greatest of all great ones. 

Is SERVANT OF THEM ALL. 



49 



THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT 



"\ 51 /"E hear of the spur of the moment, 
^ ^ Of deeds that are noble and grand. 
Of heroes who match an occasion. 

Applauded on every hand; 
And then of the spur of the moment. 

When apathy needs an excuse, 
We 're told that with no preparation 

Their efforts had been of no use. 

I 'm boasting no spur of the moment 

That gave me a popular name, 
I 've doubtless missed hundreds of 
chances 

To cover me over with fame; 
But then on the spur of the moment 

We do as we well might expect, 
For actions on spurs of the moment 

Are simply from cause to effect. 



50 



POEMS OF INSPIRATIOK 

Just think that the man is a genius 

Who barters all honor for pelf, 
Is blind to the future and neighbors 

And sees but the present and self; 
Just go with the herd that is brutish, 

Just go with the back-biting throng. 
Who always paint all men as spotted. 

Interpreting motives all wrong. 



Just deem it 's the mark of a hero 

To shoot off a piece of your mind. 
Regardless of any discretion 

And scornful of Charity's kind; 
Just think of revenge when in trouble. 

Believe by a magical trick, 
It 's good as a cure or preventive. 

If plastered on plenty and thick. 



Just muse that on certain occasions 

It 's valor to stab and to shoot. 
Ignore the man, mental and moral. 

And cultivate only the brute; 
Just lose the respect of your neighbors. 

Of self, of your kindred and Idth, 
Just think of this life as ignoble, 

And that one hereafter, a mjrth; 



51 



POEMS OF II^SPIEATIOJSr 

Just trample the rights of another 

And vow you will ruin or rule. 
You '11 prove on some spur of the moment 

The silliest kind of a fool. 
You'll speak and say little or nothing 

Of what you had really meant. 
You '11 act on the spur of the moment. 

And have all your life to repent. 



IBut take the advice of the proverb. 

To go with the wise and be wise; 
Disdain any fraud or deception 

For time will strip off the disguise; 
Just think of the value of honor 

And how it will come to your aid, 
A currency, better than riches 

iTo bank on in commerce and trade. 



Just vow you will build upon merit, 

A name of unlimited worth; 
And carefully lay the foundation 

Way down in the depths of the earth; 
Remember, the higher your structure. 

The more it 's to shine in the light. 
The more you must delve for the bedrock. 

And patiently toil out of sight. 



52 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

And when, by long effort you 've builded 

A name that is better than gold. 
Think you, that some spur of the moment 

Will find yourself easily sold? 
Your record's a shield from the tempter 

And those who lead others astray. 
You '11 value right highly your honor, 

Nor barter nor give it away. 



You '11 find on the spur of the moment 

You 've courage to do and to dare, 
You 've mental and moral equipment 

Like guns that are loaded for bear. 
Your purpose, your habits, are cables 

To hold to the course that is true. 
And hope and achievement and others 

Will lead you triumphantly through. 



53 



THERE'S MARKET ENOUGH 
FOR THE BEST 



OUPPLY and Demand, in the temples 
^^ Of commerce are making their quest ; 
Refusing the poor and the common, 

But bidding well up for the best; 
In factory, farm, field and foundry. 

They 're seeking and free to invest; 
For product of garden or dairy, 

There ^s maeket enough for the 

BEST. 



There 's room at the top for the skillful 

On whom every one can rely, 
There 's honor and place for the spirit 

That 's born with a zeal from on high ; 
Demand is in quest of the noble, 

With worthiest purpose possessed; 
For diligent ones of all ages, 

There 's market enough for the best. 

54 







.■"4'S 



"Fw product oi garden or daiir. 
There's market enooffh £ot Qte best." 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

The fop, with saloon education. 

The gamblers, hoboes and hoodoos; 
The hodlums, with slang conversation, 

Refined as Apaches and Sioux; 
The lazy, dishonest, and shiftless, 

With naught of ambition or zest, 
While these are a drug on the market, 

There ^s Market Enough for the 
Best. 



56 



TELL THE TRUTH 



T 'D sing of Grover Cleveland, 
'■■ Who won a brilliant score, 
(Although against my ballot,) 

In Eighteen eighty- foui'; 
'T was after the conventions, 

A week or two had gone. 
The issues had been stated 

And party lines were drawn. 

They 'd raked the fields of gossip, 

And with the old and new 
Was one, a horrid story, 

And worst of all 'twas true. 
The daily press portrayed him 

For honors all unfit, 
As black as if bedraggled 

In yon infernal pit. 

57 



POEMS OF INSPIKATION 

An author, who was ^vriting 

The common campaign book. 
Perused the newsy papers 

And wore a worried look; 
He sat in sober silence 

While sped the hours away, 
Then telegraphed his chieftain. 

To ask what he might say. 



Three notes in bold staccato, 

Unterrified and strong, 
Flashed back across the wires. 

The title of my song. 
As food, by starving mortals. 

Is rolled on tongue and tooth. 
His friends rehearsed the mandate 

That bade them "Tell the Truth." 



'T was sent tliroughout the nation, 

'T was pubhshed far and wide, 
'T was sounded here and yonder 

And tm'ned the battle's tide. 
The Democratic circles 

Exploded mth applause. 
While foes in dumb amazement 

Stood by with gaping jaws. 

58 



POEMS OF mSPIEATION 



They thought they knew the tactics 

Of politicians' games, 
iThey thought he 'd make excuses 

And take to calling names; 
iThey 'd hear some great orations 

Of blackguard epithets. 
He 'd talk of suits for Ubel 

And make blood-curdling threats. 



He 'd rant and rave and bluster, 

(To prove whom he might scare, 
They waited for the circus 

To see him paw the air. 
But when he made no effort 

To paint the others black, 
Nor boasted any virtues 

Of which he had a lack; 



And when his tongue he bridled. 

Though pictured all uncouth. 
Admitting his transgression, 

And dared them "Tell the Truth," 
Their gibes were worse than worthless. 

Their powder turned to punk, 
Their shot and shell were bubbles 

Their cannon, worthless junk; 

59 



POEMS OF mSPIRATIOK 

Against that bolt of thunder. 

Their weapons were but straws. 
Their forts were towers of vapor. 

Their battlements were gauze. 
It crashed through all defenses, 

It routed horse and foot. 
That in confusing panic 

So suddenly were put. 



And so my lad, remember, 

To build an honored name, 
You '11 need foundation other 

Than some one else's shame. 
You '11 fight a losing battle 

Whenever YOU have erred. 
To tell how THEY have blundered, 

Or sinned in deed or word. 



But you can take position 

Five hundred times as strong 
As any one who tattles 

About your doing wrong. 
You needn't preach a sermon, 

Nor make an hour's prayer. 
You need n't use ten thousand 

Gas-metersful of air: 



60 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

But when you say you 're sorry, 

And try to make amends, 
kYou 've captured their munitions. 

And there the battle ends. 
Content yourself with knowing 

That they who guy and gawk. 
Monopolize the trouble 

With their boomerang of talk. 



Though each of all your rivals 

Might shout to split a lung, 
[Keep cool and hold your temper. 

Do right and hold your tongue. 
For every word you utter 

In gravity or mirth. 
Will surely be discounted 

Exactly at its worth. 



No haughty boast should publish 

The weakness of your phght; 
But trust with full composure 

The omnipotence of Right. 
And in this mighty fortress. 

Beside their flimsy booth. 
Just "bide a wee" in patience 

And dare them "Tell the Truth. 



61 



WHO WANTS A SHARE? 



SOLICITING subscriptions 
^ Of specified amounts, 
To pay some church expenses 

And settle up accounts, 
I asked a worthy member 

To help a good aifair. 
Who said without a question, 

"Well, I '11 subscribe a share." 



And Avith response so willing, 

A thought to me occurred, 
A theme for meditation 

With each inspiring word; 
All shares of sin and folly 

Yield dividends of pain. 
And there *s no share of duty 

Without a share of gain. 

62 







"Soliciting subscriptions of specified amounts. 
To pay some cliurch expenses." 



POEMS OF INSPIKATION 

So Moses' share of hardship, 

For which he left a crown, 
Concealed a share of glory. 

And shares of blest renown; 
And Daniel's share of honor 

Had been for other men, 
If he had quailed at sharing 

The frightful lions' den. 



Oh! that great share of duty 

That seems to weight you down. 
Is God's great share of jewels, 

Intended for your crown. 
Ah! friend, your share of burden, 

Your share of sacrifice, 
Will bless your share of heaven, 

Your share of Paradise. 



64 



THE HANDLE AND THE 
BLADE 



A H! well I remember some lessons of 
'^*' ^visdom 

My father and mother impressed on my 
mind. 
Among the old adages, proverbs and 
sayings 
The wisdom of this, I right often can 
find: 
In handling all tools that have any sharp 
edges, 
A knife or a razor, a scythe or a spade. 
Or axes, or hatchets, or chisels, or wedges, 
"Take hold of the handle^ instead 

OF THE BLADE/^ 



And think when you 're dealing with 
rough human nature. 
There 's good in the worst, and there 's 
bad in the best. 



Q5 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

Don't think your own style is the only 
correct one. 
Nor look for perfection in all of the 
rest. 
There 's much human nature around and 
about us 
With angular points and sharp edges 
arrayed. 
But in them you '11 find some redeeming 
attraction, 
"Take hold of the handle instead of 
the blade." 

You Ve people about you with all sorts 
of failings 
Unless much more lucky than most that 
I know. 
Do n't waste precious time in backbitings 
and wailings 
And publish your folly and ignorance 
so. 
You strain at a gnat and then swallow a 
camel 
In gossip of neighbors, their faults to 
parade. 
For great among faults, is the fault of 
fault-finding, 
"Take hold of the handle instead of 
the blade." 

66 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

We Ve neighbors in plenty with manner- 
less children. 
Dogs, cats, pigs and chickens — a both- 
ersome train, 
But how could we better our present con- 
dition 
By adding their hatred, contempt and 
disdain? 
And since we can't have everything to 
our fancy. 
And we, among others, some errors 
have made, 
Let 's note what is pleasant, ignoring the 
balance, 
"Take hold of the handle instead of 
the blade." 

Some people would bluster at you in their 
fury, 
And make of great use The Imperative 
Mode, 
You 'd seem, should you only pursue 
right and reason, 
A cowardly underling, ruled by their 
goad. 
Yet why should such actions disturb our 
composure? 
They Ve sorrows enough with the foes 
they have made, 

67 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

Why should our ill-temper sink us to 
their level? 
Fly off of the handle — a dangerous 
blade. 

But some, having intellect^ six-for-a- 
nickel, 
Are constantly tramping on neighbor- 
hood corns, 
When plucking a rosebud of ravishing 
beauty, 
They seem to see nothing except ugly 
thorns. 
If trouble you 're seeking in patches and 
acres, 
You surely can find it and not be 
delayed ; 
Do n't mind your own business, but faults 
of your neighbors. 
Grab loose of the handle, and hold of 
the blade. 

And yet, Holy Writ teaches this be- 
yond doubting, 
That I am a keeper of brothers around. 
And brotherly kindness can point out 
their errors, 
In words clear and plain if by charity 
bound, 

68 



POEMS OF INSPIEATION 

Appeal to their manhood, their honor 
and reason; 
Let love and respect every sentence 
pervade, 
Nine times out of ten they will make 
strong endeavor 
To hide in the handle the edge of the 
blade. 



THE SLOUGHY POSTMASTER 

(Note— The author is a Railway Postal Clerk.) 

HOW dear to my heart is that worthy 
official, 
Who mixes the mail, as if mush, with a 
stick ; 
If I were his mother, he 'd need artificial 
Half soles to his trousers, an inch or 
two thick. 



On getting his batch of "New York" and 
"Durango," 
Then foreign mail, local mail, mixed 
up with States, 
You 'd think I was dancing the Spanish 
fandango 
Or dodging about the first time upon 
skates. 



70 




"And speeding thro' space on the Burlington Flyer 
To meet waiting trains at the end of the run." 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION" 

One day, as he listened to kindly sugges- 
tions 
To label the "local," I titled my tune 
"Millennial Bliss," but don't ask any 
questions, 
It faded to this the next change of the 
moon. 



And speeding thro' space on The Bm-- 
lington flyer 
To meet waiting trains at the end of 
the run, 
I 'd blow him as high, or a little bit higher, 
Than Gilderoy's kite out o' sight in the 
sun. 



72 



LOADED FOR BEAR 



T\rE 'RE stalking life's fen, field, or 
^ ^ forest, 

And searching for various game. 
It may be for pleasure or profit ; 

Perhaps it is fortune or fame. 
Despise not the small game about yoUr 

Like squirrel or Belgian hare, 
But mind! ^^There is bigger game 

FOR YOU^ 

So always be loaded for bear. 

Some hunt with the worst of equipment. 

As ignorance, envy or hate; 
Return from the chase, disappointed. 

And grumble because of their fate. 
Revenge is a blunderbuss, bu'sted. 

Beyond any means of repair. 
And tho' it wrecks any behind it. 

It 's "powerful weak" for a bear. 



73 



POEMS OF INSFIKATIO]^ 

Should man, made in God's mighty 
image, 

Thus dwindle to less than a mouse, 
And try to "get even" with vermin 

By sinking as low as a parasite? 
Oh! tower above slight or insult. 

Or barking, or bellow, or blare; 
For spite simply gives your opponent. 

The gun you had loaded for bear. 

With cartridge-belt full of politeness, 
And shells that are loaded with pluck; 

With coat of respect, to which libel 
Is simply like rain on a duck, 

Go forth with the strong shield of honor, 
Despise ammunition, unfair. 

Load up with some noble ambition 

And HUNT TELL YOU CAPTURE A 

BEAR. 



74 



SELECTION AND MORAL 



"AT 8:00 p. M. while Pa and Ma 
**"*- Helped entertain with Sis, 
Both John and May in distant seats 

Were far apart 

like this 

At 9:00 P. M. when Pa withdrew. 
And sought his room upstairs, 

Those lovers found some photographs 
And nearer brought their chairs. 

At 10:00 o'clock Mamma decamped, 

And then my sakes! what bliss! 
Those lovers sat till after one, 

Aboutascloseasthis." 

And I would draw this lesson from 

The suit that John did press. 
About the kind of youth who wins 

The damsel called Success. 

Devotion to allotted work 

Will drive all else away, 
'T will bring him early, keep liim late 

And close, as John to May. 

75 



THE PRESCRIPTION 



A YOUNG and most worthy physi- 
-^^ cian, 

Whose name was McDonald Sinelare, 
Had numbered as one of his patients. 

Miss Josephine Isabel Ware. 
Her form was like that of Diana, 

The Goddess who rules o'er the chase. 
And lilies and roses were blended 

On features of magical grace. 

He asked of her health and her ailments. 

One evening, when out at a ball; 
She said that another prescription. 

No doubt, it would cure one and all. 
He thought he would change the pre- 
scription. 

And said as he pencilled wdth care, 
"Now this is just what you must take, 
ma'am," 

'Twas "Doctor McDonald Sinelare." 



76 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

She gasped as she opened the paper, 

That it was a bad, bitter piU, 
Yet blushes, through long, drooping 
lashes. 

Proclaimed to the Doctor "I will." 
'Mid singing and music and laughter. 

And ringing of summertime beUs, 
She chose that ideal prescription. 

As this little melody tells. 



77 



WRECK OF THE FAST MAIL 



Sketch— The following poem clearly nar- 
rates the wreck at Danville, Va., September 
23, 1903. It being a mail train, no passengers 
were aboard. Of the sixteen men on duty in 
various partsof the train, elevenlost their lives. 



VV/'E 'LL boast of Grant at Shiloh, 
' ^ And sing of Sherman's trail, 
Yet vie with bards to honor 
The Man of Railway Mail. 
When trains are late, 
A hell-bound gait 
Bodes death on every rail, 
I fear the fate 
When trains are late 
Of him who works the mail. 

So nigh the steel of iron, 

Fatalities prevail, 
But he can't grasp the throttle 
Nor scan the treach'rous rail; 
His mind must bend 
To mail we send, 



78 



POEMS OF mSPIRATION 

To time-cards, maps, and schemes. 

The thousand trains, 

That cross the plains, 
Weave riddles, passing dreams. 



And when his run is over. 
Beside his humble fire. 
His books must be corrected 
From orders "by the quire;** 

They come each week 

In stacks and speak 
To rack his aching brain. 

To learn by heart, 

In whole, in part, 
New office, stage and train. 



The greatest Kings of Commerce 

Trust his unerring ken. 
He brings to us the treasures 
Of friendship, press and pen. 
Delay might bring 
The fatal sting, 
The dread of one and all. 
One careless toss 
Turn gain to loss 
On barter, great or small. 

79 



POEMS OF INSPIKATIOK 

A mail train — heavy freighted 

While all, impatient wait. 
Swept down from off a mountain. 
One fatal hour late. 

With mighty tread, 

It onward sped, 
Where curving trestles quake; 

Then left its beat. 

Two hundred feet, 
'Mid rocks and cane and brake. 

That crash 'woke sleeping echoes 

On far-off mountain peaks. 
Like peal on peal of thunder 
When God's artil'ry speaks; 

The creaking beam, 

The hissing steam. 
Made one great funeral wail. 

But not a word, 

Nor moan, was heard 
From all who worked the mail. 

At mutilated corpses, 

All people stood aghast. 
As arms and limbs asunder 

Were from the wreckage passed. 
'Mid burning sacks 
And iron racks. 




^'Swept down from off a mountain.* 



POEMS OF mSPmATIOK 

Those mangled bodies lay. 

And flesh and blood 

With mire and mud 
Bestrewed the mountain way. 

Ah, thus, on train or engine. 

To die where duties call, 
(Unheralded in battle 
Or legislative hall,) 

Should weave for them 

A diadem 
Of poets' richest lore. 

Till Gabriel's blast 

Proclaims the last 
Of wreck and ruin o'er. 

We trust they were promoted 

To more exalted lines, 
From tenements so humble 

To homes where splendor shines. 

This word of cheer 

To kindred dear, 
"They died at Duty's Post," 

And may we meet 

The crew complete. 
In yon celestial host. 



82 



SAN FRANCISCO 



OH! San Francisco, regal, 
Where gleams The Golden Gate, 
Though stricken by affliction, 

And well nigh crushed by fate ; 
The thought of thy misfortune 

Hath touched the human heart. 
We mourn thy desolation. 
And heg to bear a part. 



Thy sons — our kith and kindred- 
Have made a desert bright. 

And built a spot like Eden 
'Mid Barbarism's blight, 

And though earth still is quaking 
And embers yet are hot, 

We see thy homes rebuilding — 
The mansion and the cot. 



83 



POEMS OF INSPIKATION 

We breathe an inspiration 

From such unbounded pluck, 
Which says that true endeavor 

Is all there is of luck, 
!And though the wheels of commerce 

Are still, in mill and shop, 
'T is but, in plucky 'Frisco, 

A momentary stop. 



For there 's no paltry effort 

In fear that you may fail. 
But strokes, both strong and sturdy. 

From those who will prevail. 
It sounds the Latin proverb, 

"Ad astra" to the stars 
"Per aspera" through thousands 

Of Difficulty's bars. 



And, stewards of the Giver 

Of every earthly good. 
We now unlock His treasure 

Of gold, of clothes and food. 
We 'd help re-light thy fires ; 

We 'd help re-build thy walls ; 
We 'd help erect thy spires 

And fill thy new-built halls. 

M 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

And when the wrecks are mended 

And Fortune 's on our side, 
And others, just as worthy, 

Have wants to be supplied; 
On opportune occasions 

To help our fellow man, 
We'll say "Get up an' hustle; 

We '11 beat you if we can." 



85 



KNOWLEDGE VS. WISDOM 

OR 
THE POWER OF THOUGHT 



Notes— Knowledge is power, and many a man is a power-ful fool, 
but Wisdom is the right use of Knowledge. Your education is valu- 
able, not in proportion to what you know, but in projwrtion to your 
abUity to find out what you may need to know, as the needs arise. 

The ancient philosopher, Archimedes, seeing the great power of a 
lever, exclaimed, "If I had a lever long enough, and some place for a 
fulcrum, I could move the world. ' ' 



*'\(^OU can lead a horse to water, 

■■' But you can not make him drink ;' 
Y^ou can send a dunce to college. 

But you can not make him think; 
And the best of things are worthless 

Till we use them as we ought. 
So our knowledge turns to wisdom 

Only by the hardest thought. 



He who hopes to be a figure 

Of commanding magnitude. 
Seeks the great supply of wisdom^ 

Earnest thought in solitude. 
And, hilarity despising. 

All but gay and festive times. 
Is but mental paregoric 

Such as Mother Goose's Rhymes. 



POEMS OF mSPIEATION 

Do not think your native talent 

Bids your energies recede, 
'T is its usEj and not possession. 

That can make a man succeed ; 
Better chances in the struggle, 

With endowments, multiply. 
But your talent is not given 

Lraziness to gratify. 



'T will not keep for state occasions. 

In a band-box laid away; 
Worse than useless for exhibit, 

In a show-case for display; 
'T is an implement for service 

That, IN usEj can help you rise, 
EBut without your own exertion, 

You can win no worthy prize. 



lE'en a wing that is not mated. 

Is n't worth a broken crutch, 
But the pair called Toil and Talent, 

They can help, and help you much. 
And the youth who thinks diplomas 

Can support a man and wife; 
That abundant education 

Does away with toil and strife; 

87 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

Or the dude who hails from eollege- 

An aristrocratic snob — 
Who is seeking a position, 

JBut who doesn't want a job; 
Who can see no degradation 

Being rated as a shirk. 
Who imparts the information 

He 's too dignified to work; 



Though his head be stuffed with Latin, 

Figures, facts and etiquette, 
StiU, without their appHcation, 

He 's an ignoramus yet. 
And to gormandize the classics 

Or the theorems of school, 
Just to boast their acquisition. 

Makes the educated fool. 



Education is not learning. 

It 's abnity to THINK, 
And your undigested knowledge 

Is a mess of printers* ink. 
For the need is application. 

Calculation, day and night; 
Study, thought and meditation. 

Till your problems blaze with light, 

88 



POEMS OF mSPIKATION 

fThought is potent; Thought has power; 

Thought doth move the world with 
ease; 
Thought is that great, mighty lever, 

Dreamed of hy Archimedes. 
From the power-house of learning. 

Not the slightest force is brought. 
But on lines of meditation, 

From the dynamos of thought. 



THE GUN AND THE GAME 



'D never disperse the mosquitoes 
Bombarding with monstrous gun, 
And hurl from the mouth of a cannon 

A shot that weighs over a ton; 
And wordy and insolent battles 

With breeds from the bogs of ill-fame, 
Will never defray the expenses. 

The gun is too big for the game. 

When any one tries to annoy you 

With manners more rude than polite; 
When enemies try to attack you 

With pop-guns of malice or spite; 
Revenge simply shows you are wounded, 

And tattles of how you 're undone ; 
Just show by an even demeanor, 
You 're game that 's too big for the 
gun. 

90 



THE HEAVY END 



AH ! lad, you want to be successful, 
•^"^ And draw good pay in cash, of 

course ; 
You want to hold some post of honor, 
And grow to be a man of force; 
Now listen to this bit of wisdom 

To help you gain what you intend, 
*'When you and others bear a burden. 
Be sure to choose the heavy end." 

For men abhor a lazy laggard, 

They all abominate a shirk. 
Who wants the light end, soft and 
snappy, 

While others have the heavy work. 
The youth who scorns to climb the ladder, 

And tries at first the topmost round, 
Depends on wings imaginary; 

And falls and sprawls upon the 
ground. 

91 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

Of course you want to draw your wages, 

But if you would avoid regret. 
Be vastly surer you are earning 

A great deal more than what you get; 
For you are headed up and onward 

When those about you comprehend 
You Ve made your work exceed your 
wages, 

And always want the heavy end. 

And though you can not reap the harvest 

Upon the very day you sow. 
The lacking pay for what you 're doing,, 

Will grow and pay for what you know; 
And in the world's hard heart of granite 

You '11 find a place to recommend, 
You '11 find a welcome, warm and cordial, 

For those who take the heavy end. 



TOMMY'S LITTLE DRUM 



rpOMMY had a little drum, 
•*■ Its tone was loud and shrill. 
And everywhere that Tommy went 
Was music fit to kill. 

He told his ma he couldn't see 
What made her headache ache; 

She said that she was much afraid. 
His Christmas drum would break. 

But Pa declared, while Tommy played 

His energetic stunt, 
"I 'm not afraid the thing will bu'st. 

But I 'm afraid it won't." 



93 



O, WHO COULD BE LONESOME 
ALONE? 



/^H! who could be lonesome or lonely? 
^-^ For Time fairly quakes as he flings 
And scatters new proof of the proverb, 

"The dihgent stand before kings." 
When Truth might be built up and 
strengthened, 

And Error might be overthrown. 
And Mind made a storehouse of wisdom, 

O, who could be lonesome alone? 

The Amazon gathers its greatness 

From hundreds of thousands of veins 
And seeps that are hidden forever. 

In mountains, and jungles, and plains; 
So he, when Emergency summoned. 

Who answered in clarion tone. 
Had gathered equipment each moment, 

And never was lonesome alone. 




"la mountains and jungles and plains." 



POEMS OF INSPIEATION 

We pine for a friend sympathetic 

When Fate has decreed we must part; 
Neglect, or a lack of affection 

Strikes grief to the core of the heart. 
But he who abhors meditation 

In dread of a dull monotone, 
Is flabby and weak in the struggle. 

Like all who are lonesome alone. 

iThe man who succeeds in liis business. 

Must make it his daily delight; 
Must make it his chief recreation, 

And pleasure by day and by night. 
The Giants, the Kings of our commerce. 

And all who for wisdom are known. 
Had valued as priceless each moment. 

And never were lonesome alone. 

The baby that cries for his rattle. 

The fop, without purpose or bent. 
The idle who loaf in the shadow 

About Mediocrity's tent. 
The pleasure-bound leeches of fashion 

Whose coveted bread is a stone, 
And all who are aiming at nothing. 

Are some who are lonesome alone. 



96 



A CHARACTER FACTORY 



(Note— A bulletin board in Los Angeles 
states : The Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation will build a $200.000Character Fac- 
tory on these lots soon.) 



\ ^ TE 'RE needing a Character Factory 
^ ^ started. 
To work up material Satan would 
choose, 
The brightest of youth and the brainest 
manhood 
Are such as his mills would be ruined 
to lose. 

Materials priceless — of worth beyond 
measure — 
Are there manufactured a menace and 
curse, 
And turned out as burdens to self and to 
others — 
The product when finished could hardly 
be worse. 



97 



POEMS OF INSPIRATIOI^ 

With character ruined — with faculties 
blighted — 
"No market is left where their talents 
will sell, 
They drift to some dump of Society's 
garbage — 
A jail, an asylum — ^the gallows as well. 

They 're needed to edify places of honor. 
Adorn every post they are chosen to 
hold, 
Explore every region of science and 
knowledge, 
And bring forth their treasures, more 
precious than gold. 

They're needed to shine in Society's 
circles. 
Dispensing the light of true wisdom 
and mirth; 
They're needed to battle with Truth 
against Error, 
And prove what is truly "the salt of 
the earth." 



98 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

They 're needed to strengthen the weak 
who are striving 
With many temptations that lead them 
astray; 
So welcome the Factory — ^welcome the 
product — 
And all with the trade-mark of 
Y. M. C. A. 



99 



EIDDY OTLAHERTY'S RECOM- 
MENDATION 



AMISS O'FLA'RTY came from 
Cork, 
A winsome lass of beauty. 
To act as waitress in New York, 

Or do domestic duty; 
Among her treasures and effects, 

A written commendation 
Showed character, in all respects 
Quite worthy estimation. 

This document was shown one day 

To Michael McCurdy, 
Who let the wind tear much away 

While telling Patrick Murphy; 
And what to do was hard to tell, 

'T was badly mutilated, 
Perhaps Pat Murphy, just as well. 

Might certify as stated; 

100 



POEMS OF mSPIRATION . 

And so he wrote as best he could, 

"I know Miss Biddy's nature. 
Her athrributes are jist ez good 

Ez anny livin' crr'acher. 
Her character was what ye'd like; 

But on that trip romantic, 
'T was ruined by that measley Mike, 

A crossing the Atlantic." 

And so Miss Biddy came from Cork, 

A winsome lass of beauty, 
To act as waitress in 'New York, 

Or do domestic duty; 
With other ills, she soon forgot 

Those days so dark and murky. 
When living in a cozy cot. 

As Mrs. Patrick Murphy. 



101 



THE POINT OF HIGHEST 
HONOR 



/^H! my soul has had a vision of the 

^^ most exalted state, 

Well may its amazing grandeur ever 

tempt the rich and great, 
'T is the highest point of honor, gained 

by king or potentate, 
Our God is marching on. 



'T is a place of surer profit than a gushing 

well of oil: 
'T is a place where Justice tolerates no 

unrequited toil. 
Naught that seems to stay His coming, 

His majestic tread can foil, 
For God is marching on. 

102 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

Would you have a vision bringing this 

enchanted spot to view? 
Would you fill a noble station in a mighty 

retinue? 
Ah! the humble POST OF DUTY IS 

THE POST OF HONOR, 

TOO 
For God is marching on. 



103 



HUMBLE DUTIES 



(And Moses led the iock of Jethro to the BACKSIDE of the 
DESESi:— Exodus 3 1.) 



T^RUDGING duties, hard and grind- 
-■^ ing. 

Have they fallen to thy lot? 
Is the task assigned thee humble? 

Does thy toil appear forgot'? 

Ah! the Lord exalted labor, — 
Irksome kinds, in cold and heat; 

And when acting as a teacher, 

Washed and wiped the servants' feet. 

Yes, thy task to thee seems common, 
And my own seems so to me ; ^ 

So it was unto the Master, 
So to others it must be. 

Forty years was Moses tested 

While monotony did rule; 
Forty more of thankless service, 

'Mid complaint and ridicule ; 

104 



POEMS OF INSPIEATION 

But we now can read the lesson 
Which to him was not in view. 

That the simple post of duty- 
Was the post of honor, too ; 



And to seek release or freedom 
From the struggle and the strife, 

Is to miss the grandest jewels 
Which bedeck the crown of life. 



'T is an honor to a soldier 
To be sent where perils are. 

And a badge of endless glory, 
Is the empty sleeve or scar ; 



And we 'd be but senseless dummies 
With no burden, care or doubt, — 

No experience suggesting 

Themes for noble thoughts about I 



And thy life is not a failure, 
And it has not been in vain. 

If one fainting, fallen brother 
By thy aid may rise again ; 

105 



POEMS OF INSPIRATION 

If one thought of thine shall echo 
Through the corridors of time, 

That shall make one cheerless hamlet 
Bright with hope and love sublime; 



If one blossom thou dost nourish, 
If one thorn thou dost remove. 

Here 's the truth that Time is blazing 
And historic pages prove — 



Prove that arrogance is failure, 
Though it shine in Fashion's dross; 

Prove that selfishness is ruin, 
And that greedy gain is loss; 



Prove such wealth of soul returneth 
When we strive to aid distress. 

That a SACMFICE IS PROFIT, 
And that SERVICE IS SUCCESS. 



106 



PLUS ULTRA 

(From a school motto: "Not to the top, but climbing." 

HOWEVER we rise in attainable 
grace 
With many to praise or to love us, 
We know all about there is infinite space. 
And heights, unattained, are above us. 

Perhaps you may rise to the throne of a 
king, 
With hardly a bond or a fetter. 
Yet, vow that each day, from your life 
there shall spring 
Another one, wiser and better. 

Let earnest endeavor and effort be bent 
And when the last curfew is chiming. 

Be this to your credit, that life was not 
spent 
In gaining the top, but in climbing. 

107 



A QUOTATION AND REPLY 

(First verse quoted from a post card.) 

fT^HEBE are those who say it 's a crime 
-*• to play. 

We should all he in bed at nine. 
But the man who said "We 're a long time 
dead" 

Hit the nail on the head for mine." 

Ah! he truly said "We're a long time 
dead" 
And it is n't a crime to play ; 
But because, as said, "We 're a long time 
dead," 
Would you fritter this life away? 

Beginning at nine carousing with wine, 
You are leading the pace that kills; 

And you build of sand, on a storm-beat 
strand, 
Where are billows of aches and ills. 

There 's intense delight to be gath'ring 
might 
For the battles you wish to ^vin, 
And of Wisdom's lore you can gain a 
store; 
And now is the time to begin. 
108 



SIGNS OF SUCCESS 

\717E 'RE apt to guess we Ve missed 
^ ^ success. 

Till we can show some token 
Like harvest, bright, like wealth or might, 

Or foe with sceptre broken; 

And yet we know that seed we sow 

May lie in icy keeping 
And winter's breath may seem like death, 

Long months before the reaping. 

Be strong, young heart, and do thy part. 

Thy Yv'ork is all potential, 
And DUTY DONE IS VICT'RY 
WON, 

And signs are non-essential. 



OUR MOTTO 

T^7"E 'LL go ahead rejoicing 
^ ^ When pleasing things are said; 
And when such words are lacking 
We '11 simply GO AHEAD. 
109 



MOTIVE FOR DOING 



1[ 7[ /"HILEi many insist that we take as 
^ * our guide 

The welfare of others, alone, 
Yet here is a method by which to decide. 

To truly consider your own. 

As duty that 's done is a victory won. 
And sacrifice, greatest of gain. 

And love unto all is a heaven begun 
Like that where the Savior doth reign; 

As pride is a herald proclaiming a fall, 
And fashion is foppery's code; 

As arrogance ends in the essence of gall, 
And selfishness, sorrow's abode, 

So "sin" has the meaning of "missing the 
goal," 
The sinner, defeating himself. 
In greed, that will prove destitution of 
soul. 
Or bartering honor for pelf. 

110 



POEMS OF INSPIKATIOK 

"The path of the just" ever groweth more 
bright, 

And though the beginning be dim, 
Whoever hath struggled to dignify right. 

Hath found that it dignified him. 

While he who had idled away all his time 
To let the cause care for itself. 

Was never exalted to regions subhme. 
But passed to the lowermost shelf. 

So let them assume a benevolent plane. 
And preach in an eloquent tone. 

The rights of the brother we ought to 
maintain 
Will never conflict with our own. 



Ill 



FINIS 



A ND here 's the end 
-^^ Of what I Ve penned. 

In Hnes and rhymes and verses; 
I would in shame 
Subscribe my name, 

Should these provoke no curses. 

And yet this prayer, 
That each may bear 

In mind our human blindness, 
And here behold 
Some grains of gold, 

While sifting chaff in kindness. 

May each one see 

And strive to be 
Where honor is inviting 

His vision bent 

On life well spent 
When Time for him is writing 

THE END 
112 



TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS 



Page 38, Middle line of last verse 
change "posterity" to "prosperity," as 
"And short their prosperity, too. " 



First line of first full verse, pag( 
68, add "s" to "intellect." 



Page 78, first line of second verse, 
change "steel" to "steed, ^•' meaning an 
animated horse — the iron horse, as the lo- 
motive. 



Page 86, end of 3rd line, 2nd verse 
change the period ".^' to a comma ",' 
meaning, "the great supply of wisdom 
is, earnest thought in solitude." 



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